


Retrouvailles

by ciel__b



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Divorce, Few OCs - Freeform, M/M, Minor Character Death, Post Break Up, Slight bit of angst, college Reunion, fluff i hope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-13 09:04:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21241601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ciel__b/pseuds/ciel__b
Summary: After ten years, they realised what they could've had — if only they fought for it.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt - NR093
> 
> First of all, the mods, I wanna thank you guys for making this fic fest happen. And thank you for being supportive and understanding despite being busy.
> 
> Dear prompter, I hope you find this atleast close to what you have expected. I tried my best and I hope I didn't disappoint you too much. Thanks for this amazing prompt (I wasn't even planning to participate but your prompt made me do it) and sorry if there's anything you don't like. Please don't be hard on me. Let's talk after the reveals please I would love to.
> 
> M, if you didn't tell me about this fic fest, I wouldn't have written this. You know how lost I would have been if you weren't there to clear my doubts gfsgdgdg and your opinions meant a lot. Thanks a lot for helping me almost with everything. I really enjoyed writing for this fest with you.
> 
> To my friends, whom I ranted about this fic a lot, especially my J, who gave me the final push to get over the writer's block I had and asked me to write this for myself, thank you. I have keep on telling I am thankful for the past few times but believe me I am really really lucky to have you guys TT I love you all ❤
> 
> To each and everyone who is going to give this fic a chance, I thank you in advance and I would really appreciate your comments.

Hectic. The day is hectic for someone who wanted a peaceful day after the stressful weekend. 

Yifan should have expected this when Jessica called him in the morning to remind him about their clients' meeting. Convincing clients are always hectic—especially the new ones. 

The moment the delegates leave the meeting room, Yifan turns to his secretary, Jessica. "When is the Californian stockholders' meeting, Jes?" That is going to be even more of a pain in the ass. 

His secretary taps her tablet few times and swipes twice before looking up at him, "In the first week of June, boss."

May has just started so Yifan could let out a relieved breath. His fingers tap on the cream coloured table as he thinks what to do that day. There isn't any work from what Jessica told him that morning and it isn't like he wants to stay in the office. 

He decides to go for a walk to relieve the stiffness of his legs. No matter how many meetings he has sat through, he can never get used to his killing legs. A curse for someone who loved basketball that lot. 

He dismisses his secretary and makes up his mind for the much needed walk. 

  
  


He gets back to his home at 4 in the evening. He walks into the kitchen to help himself with a glass of water. There are few maids but he doesn't want to disturb them. He hasn't heard his mother's voice even after five minutes of coming home which means she isn't at home.

"Where's mom?" He asks the oldest maid, Kwong. She has worked for them the longest when compared to the others.

"She is at your uncle's," she answers and gestures for the empty glass in his hand, asking for it. "She said to inform you when you are back and that she will be back by 7. Get fresh and come down for coffee." 

Yifan reciprocates her kind smile. She has been there since he was a kid. She knows him to the point that after his mother, he only trusts her. 

  
  


His room is neat, thanks to Kwong who personally takes care of cleaning it. Managing a big firm doesn't make him neat when it comes to cleaning and keeping things organised. Heck, he doesn't even know how to keep his thoughts organised.

The only thing that looks messy is his work desk. Too many papers and documents relating to his recent divorce, piling over. They give him a headache whenever he sees them. Honestly he is just waiting for them to be thrown away. They were better off in the trash. The only place where they belong.

He hears his phone buzz and fishes it out of his pocket. An email. He opens it for the sake of closing it again. It might not be important.

His finger hovers over his phone, ready to close the email and get ready for a shower but his eyes stop over the words _college reunion_. He leans back against his chair and reads it again, his mind taking time to process the words properly. 

His heart fleets when he realises what it is about. A face flashes first—with a heart-wrenching smile he sometimes dreams about. Not the heart warming smile that made his heart stutter, bringing along a cute dimple but the one he saw last of him, the sad smile with glistening eyes. His heart aches, surprising him. He doesn't expect to feel like this after all those years—to feel heartbroken over his uncompleted love story. He thinks about it a lot, yes but his heart has never ached like this. He got over the aching feeling long ago. 

Just the mere possibility of seeing that face again brings back the painful twist of his heart. Heart that betrays him.

The memory of the face soon gets followed by several good, warm ones where he sees his friends, his love and himself who was happy—who once had a dream before letting it go for the sake of his mother. His heart tells him to go. 

But he knows that whatever his heart was asking for is short-lived. The position he holds, the business he now owns and his mother are his life. Willing or not, he had accepted it long ago. 

Looking back at his life, there are so many things that had happened, things he didn't wish for. But he had accepted it. 

He doesn't want to hold on to the spur of the moment feeling of whatever it might be, to sweet-coat his pathetic life. Even if he goes, it would be just for a day and he has to come back to this. But a human heart that had once loved is a fool.

  
  


"Is there something wrong, kid? You are spacing out," Kwong points out and Yifan looks down at his coffee. He realises that he hasn't touched it after his first two sips. "Are you sick?"

He shakes his head gently. "Just thinking about something, Miss Kwong."

"Thinking about what? Mei?" She asks, unsure.

Yifan tries not to grimace at her name. He even notices how Kwong hesitates to mention her. "I will never waste my time and sanity thinking about her, Miss Kwong. You know that. I was…" he trails off, contemplating whether he should tell him. "Thinking about reunion. I got invited for my college reunion."

She looks surprised. And then she smiles, her wrinkles deepening as she does. "That’s some good news! Are you going?"

He sighs. That's something he doesn't know. It has been almost ten years since he last contacted anyone from his college. Going back to them, for a day, sounds frightening as much as tempting. He can't even believe how much he wants it.

"I don't know," he answers truthfully. 

"Do you want to go, my boy?" She asks know with a pleased tilt in her voice. Yifan knows what's running on her mind. But her questioning eyes tell him she wants to know his honest answer.

"I…" he trails off once again. What should he tell?

Kwong gives him a raspy laugh. "Yifan, your heart, it yearns. Yearns for things because it knows what you want." She says, the smile still on her face, un-aged throughout the years. 

She is right. Heart yearns. It longs for things despite knowing they won't last. Like how Yifan’s heart wants the bittersweet feeling once again. It begs to see him again.

He doesn't answer. Kwong doesn't ask further yet she wears the smile, gesturing at his cup. Yifan resumes drinking his coffee, thoughts clouding him. He hands the empty coffee mug to Kwong and that is when he notices the grey ceramic vase. And the flowers it holds. 

Something tugs at his chest when his eyes fall on those blue little flowers. Forget-me-nots. 

_Don't… forget me._

"Mrs Kwong," he calls out for the elder, eyes never straying away from the blue flowers. "I want to go. I want to see them," he says. It feels nice to admit it aloud.

_I want to see him._ Again. It feels nice to smile at the memory of that beautiful face.

  
  


It is a week before the date mentioned in the email that he concludes he will go. No turning backs.

“Jessica,” he calls his secretary. “I want you to clear my schedule for next week."

"But the stockholders' meeting—"

"Cancel it. Move it to next week or something. I will deal with it once I get back here. For now, book me a flight to Hunan as soon as possible.”

College was the favorite part of his life. It gave him friends. It gave him the confidence he needed to live his life even if things didn't go the way he wanted to. It gave him lots and lots of memories. More than anything, it gave him his first true love—his only love, in the name of _Zhang Yixing_.

His heart yearns to see him once again, even if it means for the last time.


	2. One

The air in China feels home. It always had. He takes a long breath, once again thinking if it is a good idea to set foot on that land again. He searches for his friend in the bustling crowd of the airport.

It isn't difficult to spot a toothy grin in that crowd. Chanyeol stands there with a proud height, in navy button up. He waves at Yifan who returns back one.

Chanyeol used to be lanky but he has grown up into a handsome man with impressive built. "Dude, when did you become this handsome?"

Chanyeol bro hugs him like he always did before giving his answer. That is when the first wave of nostalgia hits him. Their basketball practices together. They have spent hours together in the college's basketball court with their friends betting on them.

"Look who is talking. But mind you, I have always been handsome," he flaunts his pearl white teeth. The quirks didn't change at all.

Once they get to Chanyeol's car, Yifan asks the other, "How is Junmyeon and others?"

The invitation isn't the only thing he got. He got calls. From Lu Han. His best friend. Who yelled curses at him as greeting. If Lu Han had not contacted him after leaving the country so sudden, he would have done the same too. Then he got talk with Baekhyun too, who was in charge of contacting the alumni to send them invitations. But only for once as they were busy, Baekhyun working for the reunion and well Lu Han, he's always busy.

"Oh, Myeon hyung? He's mad at you, I guess—you'll see when you get there, hyung. Also he got engaged a few months ago."

"Oh wow," he breaths out, his heart feeling little bit left out. What other things have happened to his friends while he was away minding his dull life? He wanted to be beside his friend when these things happened to them. He wished to be. "What about the others?"

Chanyeol smiles carefree at him, as if he can read his mind. "I'll tell you, hyung. As I told you before, Junmyeon hyung is engaged. Minseokkie hyung got married years ago and he has a three year old daughter—she's a cutie, by the way. And Jongdae, he's dating one of his colleagues for a year now.

"As for Lu Han hyung, you'll know if you follow his news— his recent gossip was him following that model. He isn't telling us anything about that so I am not sure if that's just gossip. He's sneaky these days too.

"Junmyeon hyung had started his own publishing house two years after graduating. Jongdae's a journalist, filling in the political column —risky, I know. But he says it's thrilling. Minseok hyung started working in our college too!"

"What about you and Baekhyun?"

Chanyeol lets out a giggly laugh at the question. "Oh, I am making music, obviously. As you might have expected. Started my own studio there in Seoul. It just started to get big. Well, Baekhyunee is doing great in the Fashion industry too! Who do you think designs Lu Han hyung's costumes?"

Yifan listens to him talk more about Baekhyun. It surprises him that the younger diverts the topic from their friends to solely Byun Baekhyun without realising. What happened to those who didn't let a single day to pass without their silly bickering?

When Chanyeol tells something about how Baekhyun works late that he comes home late, Yifan interrupts him. "You guys live together?"

Before Chanyeol could answer, his phone rings. "Oh it's Baekhyunee!"

It is weird listening Chanyeol call the other _Baekhyunee _because Yifan is so used to Chanyeol referring him as _little shit. _Well, that is a development.

He hears Baekhyun nagging at Chanyeol to _take Yifan hyung as soon as possible _and that _people are waiting. _

"I am almost there, Baek! In five minutes!"

True to his words, they reached the hotel in less than ten minutes. Chanyeol gets out of the car and waits for Yifan to do the same. Yifan though, hesitates. Is he really doing this? Going to see Lu Han, Junmyeon and others who were happiest part of his life. Yixing who made him fall in love. He is going to see him. After ten years.

Muffled chatters reach his ears as the door of the elevator opens. He quickly catches his reflection on the walls of the elevator and sees how he looks—a mixture between mild excitement, anxiety and curiosity. It is his college reunion after all.

“Oh finally,” someone says when he steps out of the elevator. He looks up to see his friend, who was once inseparable from him, approaching him with a wide smile despite feigning annoyance. “Seriously Yifan, you still haven't grown out of the habit of coming late? I feel bad for your employees.” His friend jokes, stopping in front of him. His eyes shine like they always used to—whenever he used to talk about his dream of becoming a singer—and now that he has finally started living his dream, the shine seems almost blinding. Now along with something else.

_Nostalgia_.

Yifan opens his arms wide, inviting his friend for a hug and his friend falls into his arm, squeezing him tightly. “You talk like you were better, Han.” He ruffles his friend's pink-dyed hair before letting him go. There is a sudden rush of pride when he sees his friend who had a dream and worked hard to reach it and make it his. From the moment he stepped out of the airport, every corner and nook of the country had Lu Han’s face. Chanyeol wasn't tired to point it out to Yifan everytime he spotted one.

_China’s sensational star_, people call him. But Yifan only sees his stupid friend who can't control his face when he laughs, who is afraid of heights and ghosts and who loves pink.

“Let’s talk later. People are waiting inside for you. It's gonna start, come on!” Lu Han takes him by the wrist and walks towards the reception hall where the planning committee decided to hold the event. Chanyeol follows them. Lu Han sounded so happy when he told Yifan about it on the phone, that he was one of the committee members and it was fun listening to all the funny, unexpected stories about his college mates.

When he enters the hall, he sees people who made his college life memorable—people who were his family. He spots Baekhyun in a corner, talking animatedly to someone over the phone. On his right is Kyungsoo, slight worry tinting his handsome features. There is Jongdae on one side, taking selfies and Chanyeol goes over to him to photo bomb him. They were his juniors in college, South Korean students who got in by scholarship program and Junmyeon was the one who made them feel included. There is no sight of that friend neither of Minseok.

However his eyes keep searching for someone who would make his heart stutter like he is nineteen all again. The man of his heart is nowhere to be found.

Lu Han keeps talking about how almost everyone agreed to attend the event, some of them even flying to China two days prior to the day and how Kyungsoo thought the food he was in-charge of would get wasted. Yifan is approached by some of his acquaintances and he gladly returns their greetings.

After some more of Lu Han’s explaining of how Baekhyun reached out to the alumni of their college and how he managed to assemble them (knowing the younger one, Yifan is ready to hear him gloat about his achievement), he finally hears his other best friend talk from behind.

“Oh is it little Yifan I see?” Yifan turns around to look out for the voice and rolls his eyes, lowering his eyes a little bit to meet the intruder's eyes.

“I see, you have grown half an inch in these years, _Junmyeon_.” Yifan hears Lu Han snickering behind him and another familiar chuckle joining him. _Kim Minseok._

“Oh don't start, you two. I am gonna start my welcome address soon,” Minseok announces, cutting off Junmyeon even before he could retort and that earns a chuckle from Yifan who goes for a hug instead.

Breaking the hug, Minseok excuses himself to get on the podium for his speech as the leader of the committee and Lu Han suggests they can go sit on the arranged seats. So Yifan follows the other two to the middle area of the hall where his other friends join him. Junmyeon accusingly jabs Yifan and complains how he stayed away without contacting any of his friends. Yifan ignores it.

"Honestly I didn't want to talk to you at all," sulks Junmyeon when they find a seat.

Yifan smiles his gummy smile at him before asking. "Yet you are here, talking to me."

Junmyeon sighs, "that’s because I am worried. I am more worried about you more than being mad."

Yifan frowns, "worried? Why?" He asks and studies Lu Han's face who looks worried too.

"We heard about your divorce," Junmyeon says and Lu Han nods beside him.

"I didn't want to ask about that on the phone. That's why I didn't bring it up," the singer reasons.

Of course, news might have passed around by one way or another.

"Ah,” he trails off, not expecting the question.

"Let's not talk about that now if you don't want to,” Junmyeon says in a whisper when he sees their friends approaching them to take their seats. After the short greetings, they wait for Minseok to start his speech.

"Hyung," Baekhyun whispers from behind. "Sorry if this sounds rude but what's with the divorce news about you? Is that even true?"

There it is. The question he would have to answer several times today. Nothing he doesn't expects. He just had a feeling that people wouldn't know about his divorce. But of course, tabloids.

“Um yes, she isn't with me anymore,” Yifan answers with a smile, ignoring Lu Han and Junmyeon's worried face. There is nothing to fret over. What has happened is what should have happened. His friends don't know what had happened. Yifan is okay. Happier.

“Sorry hyung,” Baekhyun looks apologetic and confused at the same time. Maybe his friends don't expect him to be so nonchalant about this divorce fiasco. Yifan feels Junmyeon looking at him, studying him intently. “I shouldn't have asked this now.”

“It's okay, really. It has been two months, actually,” he answers not feeling an ounce of sadness. He never felt it. On the contrary, he is really happy to get out of the hell of a life. “We didn't click well with each other.”

“Hyung—”

“It's okay, Baekhyun. That's what I wanted too,” he says and looks away, wanting the topic to be diverted from him. Baekhyun gets the hint and starts a conversation with Lu Han.

“So you tell me, why are you following the model on weibo?” When Lu Han pretends not knowing whom he is referring to, he continues, “Don't even try, I heard you have been flying to Korea a lot even if you don't have schedules there. So tell us, are you crushing on Oh Sehun?”

Yifan too, joins him to tease his friend.

They keep the conversation throughout Minseok's welcome address, not really paying him attention and Baekhyun keeps on commenting something funny, making them giggle behind their hands. Sometimes Chanyeol joins him and even earns a glare from Minseok when he guffaws aloud on something Baekhyun says. Baekhyun takes the other's hand in his and sticks his tongue out at the elder who continues his speech.

Yifan notices it and raises his eyebrows when Lu Han and Junmyeon catch his reaction. “What's with those two?” Last time he remembered, they were rivals, childishly fighting over almost everything. Now, Chanyeol calls him _Baekhyunee? _And they hold hands and actually getting along without bickering? What has changed in the past decade?

Baekhyun answers him in Junmyeon's stead, “we got married last year!” He stretches his left hand and shows the ring on his fourth finger proudly. Yifan spots the same ring on Chanyeol's finger and the younger smiles shyly.

“Didn’t expect it, right?” Lu Han laughs from his left. “God, things love makes people do. Its crazy!”

It is crazy indeed. _Love_. Making people do all the unexpected things. And making people hopeless fools. What’s worse is when you have to let it go, you leave a part of yourself with it, leaving it to wander aimlessly around the other one. Making both the ends suffer just because they loved each other.

Yifan is one of those people. Who loved crazily, deeply and truly.

Zhang Yixing was the name of his love.

  * •●•●•●•●•●•●

He saw him in his first years, on his very first day.

Lu Han was walking beside him telling how he didn't like the day already. Yifan sighed along with him not seeing the student in front. He bumped at the student, an apology following it quickly. Yifan didn't give him more than a glance after the first one. Nor did he see the boy’s eyes lingering on him for a few seconds.

The next time he saw the boy was at the cafeteria few days after.

He was eating with Junmyeon and Minseok (Luhan stayed in the dorm as his day was free after that) when the boy approached their table with hesitant steps. “Minseok,” Yifan heard the boy and looked up to see the boy smiling at his friend. He saw the boy handing some pamphlets to Minseok.

“Oh they are ready already?” Junmyeon peeked over Minseok’s shoulders and the boy waited, briefly meeting Yifan’s eyes.

“You haven’t eaten, right? Come join us,” Minseok invited him, setting the papers neatly on the table, away from the food and Junmyeon smiled at the other, approving it. “He won't mind it,” Minseok added gesturing to Yifan.

Yifan watched the boy glancing at Junmyeon and then lastly at him, his gaze turning softer when it settled on him. He gave him a smile and Yifan felt his heart freeze for a moment. The boy looked beautiful when he smiled and there was cute dimple that made his features even more handsome.

“He’s the new student, Yifan. Graphic designing major.” Junmyeon took the courtesy to introduce the new guy.

The boy settled on the seat beside Yifan’s and spoke to him, “Hi, I am Zhang Yixing.”

That name got engraved not only in his mind but also his heart, making it flutter whenever he happened to hear it.

He fell in love too soon with the boy who smiled at him like an angel. An angel that was Zhang Yixing.

“Ask him out,” Junmyeon told him during one of their hangouts, surprising Yifan out of blue. Yifan threw him a glance and saw him looking at Yixing who was playing soccer, a one on one with Lu Han.

“What are you talking about—”

“About you and Yixing. How long are you gonna stare at him like that?” He turned to him with a smirk. “Man up, Yifan.”

Yifan hit him in the shin with his foot and barely dodged the coming hit when he made eye contact with Yixing. His heart skipped a beat when the boy smiled up brightly at him and Yifan didn't know how to react to it. Most of the times, he didn't have a clue how to react to Yixing's smiles so he would end up making a fool out of himself. Like how he waved at him awkwardly earning a soft smack on the shoulder.

“You are obviously whipped for that guy and yet you don't wanna ask him out? How long will you make him wait?” Yifan gaped at his friend who had hints of exasperation in his face. Junmyeon looked like he was about to throw his book at his face.

“Wait? What do you mean by ‘wait’?” He asked, sounding dumb to himself.

Junmyeon took in an exhale to calm himself and gave him a smile, a forced one. If anything, he still looked like he wanted to hurl his book at him. “Yifan, why are you dense? Don't you look at the way Yixing looks at you?”

How did Yixing look at him?

“What do you mean?” He asked again, his eyes automatically moving from Junmyeon to Yixing who was now chasing Lu Han around the field. “How does he look at me?”

Junmyeon stood up, dusting his pants before crouching down to get his books. “The same way you look at him. Like he hasn't seen someone like you. Like you plucked out stars for him. And as disgustingly sweet it looks, it's also annoying to see none of you making a move.”

Even after Junmyeon left, his words kept circling in his mind and he couldn't keep his eyes away from the man who was running in the field like he had no worries of the world. Yifan waited till the boys finish their game and saw them coming up to the bleachers.

Lu Han might have said something but Yifan’s mind didn't register it. His eyes were fixed on Yixing as the boy ran towards his belongings. He took his water bottle to offer him some water while Lu Han whined in the background about the weather.

“Hey,” Yixing said when he saw Yifan approaching and smiled again when he saw the offered bottle. “Thank you,” he accepted it, causing Yifan’s body shiver with a brush of his fingers. There was a strange glint in Yixing’s eyes when their eyes met. Was it always there? Why didn't Yifan notice it before? What if… What if Junmyeon was right?

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Yifan blurted out even before he could stop himself. He felt like there was no other way than to test the waters.

Yixing, who was wiping his sweat with a towel, looked taken aback by the question as his movements became slow. “Just staying in the dorm. Why?”

Yifan swallowed a lump on his throat and his heart was racing hard against his ribcage. Yixing was looking at him expectantly and his tongue moved on its own. “Can we go out for lunch then?”

Yifan might have missed the way Yixing went still for a moment. But he caught the way the other's eyes went wide. The next second he was rewarded with a wide grin that evolved into a melodic chuckle. Maybe, maybe Junmyeon was right after all.

“Say Yifan, are you asking me on a date?”

Yifan had no strength to talk so he nodded and saw how flustered Yixing looked while he asked that. His cheeks warmed up when he saw the boy looking away with the same lovely smile he fell in love with.

“And I thought you would never ask.”

It wasn’t hard for Yifan to earn Zhang Yixing’s love.

  * •●•●•●•●•●•●

“Yifan,” his friend’s voice breaks his thoughts. He turns to see Lu Han pointing to the podium, where few of their professors join Minseok. “Mr Li is still ugly with his thick glasses. And look at Mrs Wang,” he points at one of them.

“Remember how much we used to ditch her classes,” Junmyeon joins Lu Han and like that the two of them take Yifan to the old days. Good old days.

The three of them were inseparable, literature majors and almost had the same schedules. Despite being a different major, Yixing still found his way into the circle. Being in the students council with Junmyeon made it even easier. There wasn't a single day that went without any one of them fooling around with the other. That's what made them friends, after all.

However one of them is missing and Yifan cannot help but feel the void. Where is he? Why hasn't he come? From the moment he entered the hall, his eyes have been wandering around, searching for the familiar face which is nowhere to be seen.

“Yixing isn't here,” Junmyeon tells him at one point. Yifan pretends he hasn't heard him. What will he say anyway? Luhan hears it and gives Yifan a look. Yifan doesn't need another look to guess what's on his mind but Lu Han has a shitty timing.

“Oh,” he says with a teasing grin. “Are we going to get FanXing moments tonight?”

Yifan manages a snort despite his heart twisting a little. “Don't you dare, Lu Han.”

“You have to stop searching for someone every two minutes.”

Junmyeon isn't planning to hold back and this is why Yifan loves Lu Han more. Though being an annoying brat, he isn't straight forward like Junmyeon. “So say, are you expecting him?”

Lu Han smacks Junmyeon, hard on the arm and tells him to stop with that tone. Junmyeon smacks him back and Minseok comes back to join them at the very moment, commenting on how childish they are still acting. Like that Yixing is forgotten.

Yifan gives up the hope of seeing Yixing. Maybe that's how lucky he is. Even if he does see Yixing, what is he going to do? It has been more than a decade and anything could have happened in those years. Feelings could have gone. He could have changed.

But what if nothing has changed? What if the feelings are still there? Yixing might think about Yifan sometimes too, like Yifan does. He might buy those blue little flower too because they remind him of them. Things could remain the same too.

Yifan pulls himself away from those thoughts. It is too late to think about those things. He feels ridiculous for thinking that. Why did he even get that idea?

It has been ten years since they broke it off despite none of them wanting it.

  * •●•●•●•●•●•●

It was a beautiful day—with a warm breeze accompanying him on the rooftop of his dormitory. It was a Sunday and Sundays meant family time. His mother was his only family and she would call him in the mornings.

He would be excited to talk with his mother but not that morning. He knew what his mother would talk about. She had already hinted him last week.

_Why are you wasting your time studying useless things? You turned twenty last week. You are legal enough now to take over the business._

Yifan would be lying if he said he didn't expect that coming. He knew, he had reminded himself that the day would come when he has to leave his literature degree behind because he had a family business to take over. Yet he gave in to the fleeting satisfaction of the way his life had been and pushed the reality that he had to return to the back of his mind.

With his friends, with all the basketball matches, with the degree he wanted to complete even if he knew he didn't have to but just because he loved it, and with a lover like Yixing, his heart went numb when he realised he had to go, leaving behind everything that felt home for the last two years.

The phone rang aloud cutting his thoughts. Never had he felt like declining a call so bad until that day. He was scared. He knew what was coming his way and heart begged him to find a way—to find a way to stay where he felt like he belonged to.

_“My love, why did you take so long?” _His mother's voice came from his phone and he didn't even realise that he had accepted the call. He swallowed the lump that was growing painful.

“Ma,” he breathed out and it had never been that difficult to talk to his mother. His mother was the one who had brought him up after going all those things one would never wish to. He had never gone against her word. Not even once but why was it so difficult now?

At the same time, she only had Yifan. Maybe she would understand him this time if Yifan told her the reason why. She loved him, didn't she?

_“Oh son, I think I can't talk for so long. So why don't we go straight to the point, hm? Did you think about what I told you last time I called?”_ His mother sounded rushing, with the sound of typing in the background and Yifan’s hope broke with every word of hers.

“Ma that, I need to tell you about something. _Someone _actually.” That made his mother pause whatever she was typing. He heard her sigh.

_“Are you seeing someone, Yifan?”_ There was sternness in her voice and Yifan had a hard time knowing why.

“Yes,” he simply answered and waited in bated breath for her response. He had hope even if it seemed dwindling with the feeling that crept up his heart. His heart suddenly beat fast as Yixing's smile flashed before his eyes. He knew what it was. “I think I am in love, ma.”

He had never told those words aloud, not even to himself. For the first time in his life, he felt what it was to love. Yixing showed what it is to be loved. Yixing loved him. Yifan was aware even if Yixing didn't tell him.

Yixing didn't tell him that he loved him. He showed him instead. With his sunshine smiles and lovely kisses. Fleeting glances at his way and shy touches. Yifan learnt that his life wouldn’t be happier. He learnt it along with Yixing.

_“Yifan,”_ her voice turned sterner than before. _“What are you talking about? Love? Such thing doesn't exist, son.”_

Yifan couldn't talk. It was as if he forgot what to say.

_“See, Yifan. I know the feeling you are talking about. I have passed what you are living now. Believe me, it's just a phase. There is no such thing called love. So if you want to stay there, wasting your time for someone, using the excuse of such bullshit then don't expect me to deal with it.”_ Each and every word swept off the very little hope Yifan had and Yifan saw the only way closing.

“But ma, I don't—”

_“Yifan, Yifan!”_ His mother’s voice raised the second time. _“Son, listen. I care about you a lot. I really do. That's why I am telling you this. There is no such thing called love. It is just a mirage that fades away with time. My life is an example. I wouldn't be here now owning a company if I was still with the man, would I? I don't want you to go through what I went. That's… that thing called love, it's not real. It doesn't stay real like it does in the beginning.”_

“Ma,” Yifan’s voice cracked despite himself and he heard his mother breath with difficulty. “I don't want to leave _him._”

His mother didn't comment on hearing that his son loved a man. Yifan didn't think she cared after all the things she said. He waited for her to tell something that wouldn't make his heart ache again.

“_Yifan, I have already booked your flight to Vancouver. This is where you are supposed to be. See you soon.”_ With that she hung up the phone.

Yifan didn't remember how many hours he stood there, not wanting to cry everything out.

The sky looked so beautiful even when Yifan was watching it with crushed hopes. It was too beautiful for Yifan to end up that sad.

  * •●•●•●•●•●•●

Junmyeon drags him to the side where the buffet is set up. Lu Han gets held in by a woman, who used to share a few classes with him.

“Isn’t she our senior on whom he had a crush on?” Junmyeon laughs as his eyes search for something he would like to eat. “Ah, Kyungsoo was mad worried about the food. Honestly everyone worked very hard for this event and I think this is a success.”

Yifan hums and watches his friend's eyes shine when they fall on muffins. Junmyeon is a sweet tooth —just like Yixing. He sighs as he grabs one from the tray and hands it to his friend.

His mind is full of Yixing and hope is still glimmering down there. Yixing is nowhere to be seen and his friends don't even bring him up. He wants to hold back asking any of them. Yet his heart doesn't listen.

“Junmyeon,” he calls out as he leans against the wall, eyes scanning the area. The crowd is a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar faces; faces he once knew too well but cannot even recognise now. “Where is he?”

Junmyeon stops eating and looks at him. “Of course you would ask,” he murmurs before handing the half eaten muffin to a flustered Lu Han who joins them (who later tells them that the woman approached him to get an autograph for her daughter who is his fan). “We,” he says gesturing to him and Lu Han, who arrived when the expected question was asked, “didn't get to talk to him. It was Baekhyun who reached out to him and told about the reunion. He told him he can't come."

Seeing his dejected face, Lu Han decides to venture into the topic. He knows his friend wants to know more. “After you… left, he distanced himself from us. Junmyeon thought it was because we reminded him of you so we didn't try to approach him. We thought he needed time. But he didn't talk to us even on our last day here. He just went home without a goodbye.”

Yifan’s heart plummets on hearing that.

“Is… Is he, you know, with someone, right now?” He asks hesitantly. He sees Junmyeon’s eyes shooting suspicious look at him.

“Why do you ask?” He doesn't even try to hide the suspicion and Yifan’s feels stupid, of course he would be suspicious. “Is it what I think, Yifan?”

“No!” Yifan denied quickly. He doesn't even have a full idea of what his friend is thinking but no, he isn't thinking of anything ill-natured. If he knows Yixing had found someone, someone he is happy with, then Yifan would be the happiest person. At least, there would be someone who can love him without any restrictions and someone who he can love without hesitation. “I just want to know. That's all.”

Lu Han is the one to answer, although grimacing, “I heard that he got married some six or seven years before. That was the last I heard of him.”

Yifan smiles, surprising the other two. Yixing has someone for him. Knowing that, Yifan smiles. There is a little pang, somewhere in the deepest parts of his heart, but he ignores it. Yixing is happy and what else does he need?

“Yifan,” Junmyeon calls out for his attention and Yifan knows what is coming. Even after all those years, they manage to read each other very well. “Enough about him. What's even going on in your life? Divorce?“

Yifan heaves out a sigh. It isn't a very long story. It doesn't deserve their time even.

“The wedding happened last year. She was a business partner. Mom thought that the marriage would strengthen our partnership. You know… how she is. So I had no choice. But she, Mei, was so keen on the idea of the wedding. My mom thought she loved me,” he cannot help but snort. For someone who didn't believe in love, she was adamant enough to make Yifan almost believe it. “But it wasn't for love she married me. It was my position in the company.

“So once the truth came out, the divorce happened. End of the story,” he concludes it and turns away to avoid their gazes.

Seriously, Yifan doesn't even find sadness in his heart when he talks about his life. But seeing the looks on his friends’ faces, he knows that it breaks their heart. His pathetic life, where he is no one but his mother's son. The history repeating itself. But whose fault he married such person?

Whom can he blame?

  * •●•●•●•●•●•●

His mother, when she learned the truth about Mei’s intentions, was heartbroken. She stayed in her room for days, avoiding her son and Yifan had to be the one to initiate the talk.

He was angry, madly infuriated. But not because of his mother. Of course, it was her who kind of ruined his peace with that wedding but how could he blame her? She was someone who lost faith in love because she found love in the wrong person. He didn't even know if his mother had seen true love—the kind of love he felt for Yixing.

“Ma,” he called out, gently. His mother was looking out the window and when she heard her son, her hand went to her eyes, wiping the fallen tears. It took aback Yifan because in his thirty years, he had never seen her mother cry. Not even when her love became a lie. She was the strongest woman he had known of.

“Oh son,” he said weakly and turned slowly to face him. Her eyes were blood red and puffed. How long had she been crying? Why was she crying? “Did you eat?”

“No, Miss Kwong told me you didn't eat yet. Let's eat together.”

They sat across from each other. There would be usually maids to aid them but Yifan dismissed them, wanting to be alone with his mother.

“I am sorry,” he said, making his mother look up at him. Her eyes were still sad. “I failed you.”

Her mother dropped the spoon in her plate and Yifan could see how badly her hand was shaking. “Son,” she said with her wobbling voice. “I am the one who should say sorry.”

Yifan’s eyes widened when he saw his mother letting out tears, not even trying to hide them anymore.

“I wasn't a good mother. See what I have done to you. I have ruined your life,” she sobbed as she covered her face. Yifan felt his heart constricting at the sight of his mother crying. He stood up from his seat, abandoning his food and went over to his mother. He clasped his arms around her and stayed like that. “I always end up doing things the wrong way.”

“Ma, stop. It hurts seeing you like this.”

His mother trembled in his arms. “I am sorry, son. I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't know it will end up like this.”

He leaned down until his head came in contact with his mother's. He stayed like that for a moment. There were few things she did—things that hurt Yifan. But in the end she was his mother, the only real family he had. And she only had him. They have to be home for each other, to be each other’s solace.

“Ma, I didn't love her. I… couldn't. So don't keep on blaming yourself. I am happy now. Like this. With you.”

She didn’t answer right away. Eventually she stopped crying and Yifan ended up sitting down on the ground, resting his head on her lap, their food gone cold long ago.

“Son,” her voice turned normal now, albeit a little shaky.

“Hm?”

“The boy, what's his name?” Her fingers were running into Yifan’s hair, calming his nerves.

“Whose?” He looked up to meet eyes with his mother. Her eyes were still glistening, tears mixed with curiosity.

There was a pause. “The boy you were in love with.”

_Oh_.

It had been almost nine years since he last uttered his name. Or was it ten years? The name he loved so much that it left a bitter taste when he last uttered it. He still called him in his dreams.

“Yixing,” he murmured, first to test how it sounded in his voice after all these years. His name rolled out so easily as if his lips never forgot their prayers. “His name is Zhang Yixing, ma.”

He saw his mother's eyes staring at him and sadness filled them. She smiled at him, the corners of her lips showing her sad wrinkles. “Do you think he loved you?”

“Ma?” He had no idea why she was asking him. It had been years and his heart had started to forget that it held Yixing so close to it, like how his lips forgot how Yixing's felt against them and like how his hands forgot how Yixing's skin felt beneath them.

Or Yifan just loved pretending like they did.

He might think that he was over his love; that he didn’t think about Yixing anymore. He didn’t. But at random evenings, when there’s no one around him, he thought about Yixing’s smile, his voice. During some nights, when he couldn’t fall asleep, he would think about how easy life looked with Yixing’s hand intertwined with his. Yixing was his last breath before he fell asleep on his bad days. He had Yixing on the corner of his smile when he happened to see small children, who reminded him of his love.

“You told me you were in love. What about him? Did he tell you that he loved you?”

Did Yixing love him? Did he? He had never uttered those words of _I love you _to him. But even his subtlest actions have screamed at him, that Yixing loved him as much as he loved the other. There wasn’t any need for him to voice out the words. He showed Yifan that he loved him.

“He did, ma. Maybe more than I did.” Because he wouldn't have let him go if he didn't.

His mother's gaze was on him yet distant. As if she was thinking about what was supposed to have happened.

“I am really sorry, Yifan.”

If only she had known how Yifan felt sorry too, for the two people he held close to his heart. For his mother because she couldn't find a love she deserved and for his love because he couldn't fulfil the love he deserved.

He too, was sorry. He really was.

  * •●•●•●•●•●•●

There is a _memory wall _set up.

“It’s Chanyeol's idea, that smart brat,” Lu Han pipes up from his right. Junmyeon, who is on his left, just studies the pictures stuck on the wall with great interest silently. Yifan too, scans the picture which are half familiar and half he doesn't have any idea about.

He doesn't even know how Chanyeol managed to gather all those but he can say it was hectic work. Lu Han even spots some from their basketball club where Yifan was in one, grinning a toothy grin. Some of them trigger the farthest memories. It has been ages since he thought about basketball. During college, it was something he had an ardor for. A breather.

“God, how did he find these?” Junmyeon asks Lu Han, pointing a picture of him wearing a red dress. Yifan lets out a loud laugh remembering the day when Junmyeon had to replace one of their female classmates from the drama club just because she was absent during the main event and Junmyeon was the only one who knew the script. “I am going to kill Chanyeol.”

Lu Han points out another picture from below, the one they took on one of their yearly tours. Once Yifan’s eyes falls on it, he cannot seem to look away. He remembers that day—even dreams sometimes. It is one of the best days in his life; the day he learnt he was in love with Yixing.

He still remembers how the sunlight decorated his lover’s face before he leaned in to kiss him, sealing their first kiss which lead to more and more that they lost count. It was the day he realised how beautiful Yixing was. It was the day when his heart silently swore to protect Yixing at whatever it would cost.

Yet.

He tears his gaze away from the picture where both of them stood along with others, Yixing head on Yifan’s shoulder. His eyes find another picture of him. In which he is wearing a red jersey and a victorious gummy grin. It is after one of their games. The inter college competition in which their team won the grand trophy. He feels his eyes stinging as they stay on that picture of him.

“Who sent this one?” He knows the answer. There was only one person he met eyes with after winning. He has seen Yixing taking a picture of him.

“We don't know. Might be Chanyeol. He had lots of pictures from the basketball team. He became the captain after you left actually,” Junmyeon answers.

Yifan’s eyes linger a lot more on his grin and he wonders when was the last time he felt that victorious. He cannot remember.

He hears Minseok calling them to introduce them to his daughter. He had already met his wife, Sunyoung, before Junmyeon dragged him to find food. His three year old daughter was asleep so they asked Minseok to call them when she wakes up.

Holding a pink balloon, Somin blinks at them with large, adorable eyes and her eyes widen when it falls on Lu Han. _Of course. _

“He’s on our Tv,” they hear her mumble. Lu Han grins at her and asks her if she knows his name. She shakes her head shyly before hiding her face into her father's shoulders.

“Alright, shy princess, don't forget it after now. He's uncle Lu Han. And this is,” he points at Yifan and Somin stares at him, her curious eyes shining, “uncle Yifan.”

Yifan crouches down to get to her eye level, “hi.” He sees her smiling shyly, averting her eyes before she mumbles a reply. “How old are you?” She holds up three fingers in the air and giggles.

Minseok asks her what made her laugh and she leans over to his ear and talks too loud to be called a whisper. “He looks like an angry bird and he's too tall.”

Junmyeon groans while the other two laugh. Yifan joins them when he realises that he is indeed the taller of the three. Somin, then stretches her hands out for Yifan and Yifan gets the idea that she wants him to hold her.

Minseok sighs, “Somin is weak for taller guys. She even got along with Chanyeol while she ignored Baekhyun for two hours straight.”

“Can we go find something to eat?” He asks her and she nods quickly. Minseok warns not to eat a lot because they will eat dinner soon. Lu Han sticks out tongue at him and steers Yifan along with him.

"Is he alright?" Minseok whisper-asks to Junmyeon. Junmyeon doesn't need elaboration of the question.

"The divorce isn't the thing we should be worried about him," he says, his eyes following Yifan who is holding a giggling mess that is Somin. "He asked about Yixing."

Minseok gapes at him. "No way, man."

Junmyeon wishes it isn't that way.

"You told him that he isn't going to come?" He frowns when he sees Junmyeon nod. "Oh god, this is… Why are they like this? After all those years?"

"Wait. They?" Junmyeon interrupts the elder. "What did Yixing do?"

"He asked Baekhyun if Yifan was coming?"

Junmyeon's head spins. What kind of connection are his friends having? It has been a decade, for god's sake. Why are they still thinking about each other? What's it for Yifan if Yixing has someone or not? What's it for Yixing if Yifan is coming or not? That is something he is confused about. And that is something he would never understand unless he had been in their place.

"I don't even understand how their mind works but I think I am glad that Yixing isn't here," Junmyeon says, feeling slightly apologetic when Minseok frowns over his words.

Junmyeon watches the elder's frown morphing into surprise as he sees past Junmyeon, his gaze settling on someone in the crowd.

Junmyeon turns around in curiosity and he couldn't help sputter a cuss word when he sees the subject of Minseok's distraction.

  * •●•●•●•●•●•●

Yifan had always loved Yixing’s voice. It was like the evening breeze, gentle with the words and never failed to caress Yifan's soul.

He would listen to Yixing talking for hours and still feel like he didn't get enough of it. Maybe it was because he loved him. Lu Han would call him whipped.

They would meet after the classes before parting ways to their respective rooms. The rooftop was their place. They would talk about their day and some days they would just sit side by side not talking about anything, just basking in each other's warmth. Yifan loved such days. Where he could listen to Yixing’s calm breathing and his own heartbeats.

It was one of such days. The only difference was, Yifan’s heart was aching. He was leaving in two days yet he was holding an oblivious Yixing close to him, tucked under his chin.

It wasn't like he wanted to leave without telling anyone. It was just, in that short time he had with Yixing, he wanted to see him smile—like he had no worries in the world.

But he should. He talked to his professor that morning. The news would spread soon. Yixing should hear it from him and not from someone else.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find it in himself to tell his lover. Yixing would be hurt. He didn't want that. He would never want to hurt the other. But time had to be cruel.

The evening breeze kissed their skin softly and Yifan felt his lover shiver for a brief second. "Do you want us to leave?" He asked him, his lips touching his lover's ear in that process. Yixing shivered again.

"No," he answered as he intertwined their hands together. "Let's stay here."

"It will get cold soon. Let's go stay in Junmyeon's room if you want to be with me," Yifan proposed and waited for the other to agree. But Yixing didn't move. He took their intertwined hand close to his lips and placed a kiss on Yifan’s hand.

"I want to be alone with you," he said, a few moments later. "I want to remember this," he added as a whisper.

"Remember what?" Yifan asked as he unconsciously pressed his nose into Yixing’s hair. He smelled like flowers and Yifan loved the scent.

"You. How it would feel to be in your arms like this." He turned his head to face Yifan. It always felt like Yifan could drown in those brown orbs and honestly, he wouldn't mind. His heart felt like it would burst when Yixing claimed his lips. He returned the kiss with the same passion and love. When Yixing broke the kiss, his eyes were glistening. "Or how it would be like to kiss you."

"Yixing," Yifan whispered as Yixing turned back to their former position. He felt Yixing’s hand loosening from his and in an instinct, he gripped them tight.

"I am not a stupid, you know? I know how things work," his lover answered with a shaking voice. Yifan let out a shaky breath as well.

So that's how it was going to end, huh?

"Yixing," he called softly, his throat aching.

"Listen me out, Yifan. I saw this coming. I am... not mad or holding you back. You can... go," his voice was quieter at the end. Yifan could sense the other smiling. It was a sad smile, Yifan could tell. "I am just… I just realised how glad I am to meet someone like you."

Yifan’s eyes were stinging. He didn't want to cry. Not when he was holding Yixing in his arms. It would break the other more. And he didn't want that. He held in the tears. "You don't have any idea how grateful I am to have you in my arms… like this. To be on the receiving end of your smiles. Have I ever told you that my heart is weak for your smile?"

Yixing let out a chuckle. It was dull yet still managed to wake up the butterflies in Yifan's heart. "I know, Yifan. You can't resist me."

Hearing that, Yifan pressed his nose against the other's neck, inhaling the flowery scent. His heart was beating crazily thinking about how much he adored the other. Words came out before he could stop himself. 

"I couldn't resist falling in love with you, Yixing."

Yixing didn't answer him that day. Nor did they talk anything after that. They just sat enjoying each other's warmth and their heartbeats synchronizing in perfect harmony. The evening was beautiful. And sad.

Sad that it had ended too soon.

Yifan didn't see Yixing the next day. He couldn't find him in his room. Nor did he answer his texts. Yifan concluded that he might need space to sort out his thoughts. Just like he did. So he let him.

His friends were understanding. They gave him the space he needed. While he was alone in his room, all he could think was how lonely he would feel after leaving all these behind.

The day when he had to leave, Yixing texted him telling him to meet him in the rooftop. Yixing wouldn't come to send him off. It would be only Lu Han and Junmyeon who were coming to the airport.

When he went to the rooftop, the first thing he saw was a pretty Yixing standing near the trailing and watching the sunset—the oranges of the setting sun decorating his face making it look more angelic than it already was. He fell in love again, his heart stumbling on seeing the guy glance at him.

Yixing gave him a smile. Yifan was fond of his smiles. His heart would stutter every time he witnessed the other's smile but that one, that smile wasn't what he wanted to see ever again. It was a sad one. Which broke his heart into pieces and he didn't know if he can fix it.

"Hey," he heard Yixing say and he didn't even know when he walked up to him. He was facing the sad smile he was starting to hate and all he wanted to do was run away. But that maybe the last time he may be seeing his lover. They wouldn't even be lovers in few minutes.

_Ah. _He remembered that they have to break it off. Whatever the beautiful bond they had, they were going to break it off.

"Hey," he whispered back as he was afraid that his voice would break.

Yixing looked down to the ground before he extended his hands to Yifan. He was holding flowers. "I always wanted to give you flowers. Should have done this before but—just take these."

Yixing's face was red and Yifan couldn't help but answer him with a laugh, the weight in his heart dissipating lightly. He must be embarrassed to buy flowers for the first time. Yixing wasn't fond of such gestures—writing letters, giving flowers kind of guy.

Still Yifan was being offered flowers. He felt touched by that gesture and he resisted the urge to coo at him. He accepted the flowers and muttered a thank you, feeling his cheeks burning.

Yixing turned back to watch the sky and Yifan stood beside him. They stood in silence. Yixing didn't say anything and Yifan didn't know what to say.

It was getting late. Their time was going to end. Yifan wanted Yixing to say something. It felt as if he would listen to Yixing cursing at him. But all he got was a smile. The sad one.

"Can I kiss you, Yifan?" Was the only thing he got. Yixing was looking at him intently. Yifan could only nod.

They kissed for the one last time before Yifan’s phone buzzed. It was time.

His heart cried when he stole a glance at Yixing. His lover's eyes were glazed yet he had a smile on his face, the same sad one and something more after the kiss. Yifan couldn't decipher it but he knew it was something good; a sign that Yixing would be okay without him. Something like an assurance.

"I… Know that I really love you," Yifan told him. If that was the last time they were seeing each other, he wanted Yixing to know. That he loved him. Yixing’s smile widened when he nodded.

"I know, Yifan. Take care on your way. Don't… forget me." He heard Yixing say before he turned his back to him. His eyes must be red already from the tears he had been holding in. He left Yixing without a second glance. The last thing he saw of him was his sad smile which haunted him in his dream for years.

He hugged both of his best friends so tightly. He was going to miss them; miss everyone, miss Yixing. He could only reminisce his days there. His heart ached when he recalled Yixing’s words.

_Don't… forget me._ He looked down at the flowers. His eyes welled up again when he realised what they were. Forget-me-nots.

The flower of remembrance.

  * •●•●•●•●•●•●

Somin might be weak for taller guys but she is even weaker for chocolates. Yifan learns that when she leaps forward into Luhan's arms when he asks her if she wants chocolates. The pink balloon gets left in Yifan’s hand.

"She likes me more, man!" Luhan flaunts his teeth before walking towards the dessert table and Yifan follows him, mumbling reminders about how Minseok wouldn't be happy if Somin gets full before dinner.

"A truffle won't fill her tummy," the reply comes along with a snort and Yifan feels bad for Luhan's future kids for having to deal with a father like him.

Deciding to blame it all on the idol if Minseok asks him, he watches Somin pointing a chocolate filled strawberry truffle and he smiles at the innocent grin she sports after Luhan lets her taste some of the sweet delicacy.

"She's exactly like her father. That cute nose," swoons Luhan as he watches her with shining eyes.

"I hope she doesn't grow up into a neat freak like her father though," sighs Yifan and Luhan looks positively terrified just by imagining it.

"Oh god, don't remind me of those days," Luhan shivers at the memories of a nagging Minseok who happened to be Yifan's and his roommate. "Remember when he locked me in the bathroom and switched off the lights for two hours just because I dropped my socks on the floor and not in the laundry basket as a punishment."

"I really hope she doesn't get that from her father," Yifan repeats again only to be cut off by Luhan's gasp.

"Yifan…" he mumbles, looking somewhere at the other side of the hall. "Look there." A small smile appears on his face, surprised one.

Yifan traces Luhan's invisible sight line and he doesn't see anything at first. It takes him a few confused breathes to spot the person and his breathing halts for good.

It is someone standing among people yet for Yifan, he stands out from everyone. That someone keeps scanning the hall curiously until those eyes meets Yifan's.

He hears Luhan telling something—he sounds too far whereas the distant sound of lips curling up almost resonates into his ears. The chatters of the hall become faraway whispers yet, and yet the relieved huff from the man is so loud that it makes his heart shudder.

He looks at the man who asked him not to forget. The man smiles at him and Yifan has missed it. His heart stumbles. Just like it did years ago.

Zhang Yixing, whom Yifan loved with his heart, takes a step towards him and Yifan waits. He waited seven years. Seven more steps shouldn't be hard.

Yet, with every step Yifan felt his breath hardening and twist of pain in his guts.

"Yifan," he hears his name and that is when he realises how bad he wanted to listen to that breezy voice calling his name again.

He stands there frozen, not realising that he is holding onto the balloon like his life depends on it. In time, Luhan gives him a tap on his back which startles him and the balloon in his grip pops out.

Nobody seems to notice the sound, too busy with their own thing. It feels as if the world goes silent for a moment. Maybe it does. But it comes to life with Yixing’s surprised chuckle. Luhan calls him an idiot which goes unheard by Yifan. It might have frighten Somin a bit because she throws her arms around Luhan’s neck and frowns over the burst balloon.

All Yifan could focus on is Yixing.

"Yixing," the name rolls off easily than he thought. Except for the ache in the throat that comes along with it.

Yifan smiles back because he doesn't fail his promise.


	3. Two

Baekhyun notices him first.

The first greeting he gets is a wide, surprised grin which he replies with a small smile of his own. Soon the junior excuses to whomever he is talking and takes big strides to meet him halfway.

“Yixing hyung! You said you wouldn’t—ah, I am so happy really! Why did you take so long though?” Baekhyun inquires while Yixing goes in for a hug.

Well, it looks like he indeed took much time to decide whether to go or not. Yixing gives the younger a sheepish grin, “Had some appointments.”

“Ha, it’s better late than never. You still can join us for dinner. That’s—“ Baekhyun stops when he is demanded by someone and that someone happens to be Kyungsoo who cuts himself when he spots Yixing.

“Hyung!” he exclaims his face brightening up when he learns that their friend has finally arrived. “It’s been so long since I last saw you, oh my god.” Kyungsoo smiles at him while Yixing hums but soon he remembers why he went there in the first place. “Right hyung, Baekhyun and I need to go talk to the caterers now. Regarding a small issue. The others are there!” He points out to the side of the hall where their friends are.

Yixing stares at no one in particular but nods at Kyungsoo who drags Baekhyun with him. Scanning the room quickly, he sees the crowd of people and he barely recognises anyone except for a couple of people. He even spots Chanyeol and Jongdae at a side, looking like they are too fed up with the crowd.

His heart recalls the last time he saw the duo and that doesn’t help his sudden anxiety. The last time isn’t something he is too proud of. That last day, he didn’t even glance at them when all the boys wanted was to say goodbye to their senior properly. He still feels like a jerk for acting like that. _Oh, he had been a jerk._

Then again, he isn’t proud of too many things in his life—even his late decision to come to the reunion. He doesn’t even know why he changed his mind at the last minute and show up there.

The moment he saw his email, he was sure he won’t go. He thought he didn’t want to. He haven’t expected one, if he had to be honest. The invitation came like a blow to his monotone routine life. There was even a lowkey buzz of excitement throughout that day. But it wasn’t as though he would go. He had a project to submit and that looked like a better excuse not to go. Not even the day when Baekhyun called, he told he would go. Why would he go?

By the time he ended the call with Baekhyun (who tried his best to convince but was disappointed in himself at the end), he knew he was being a coward. Again when wasn’t he one? He felt like he wasn’t ready to meet that part of his life again; meeting the people who he used to cherish even though he avoided them at the last time. Now those people were just a past that he didn’t want to think much about. He remembered how it was like for him in those years after he graduated; how unfair his life felt, how much he missed a certain someone. He couldn’t sleep that day at all—not after knowing that Yifan would be there too.

He had been a coward in his life. The only time he was brave enough to take a decision was when he let himself fall for Yifan. He saw how Yifan came to his life and became a part of it so easily, without much effort. He had made Yixing’s heart his own and made sure to put his love out for display out for Yixing. He made Yixing feel like the luckiest person when he was in his arms, talking non-sense most of the time and laughing next to him.

They say every good thing has to end someday. His time with Yifan had to end too. Yifan didn’t belong there, with him. That fact was something he decided to turn blind to. It felt like his heart was shredded into pieces when Yifan told that he loved him. He wanted to punch the other. He said he loved him yet he left Yixing without a second glance that day.

Again it felt pointless to think about it now. What would have Yixing done if Yifan had stayed? Would he have let him? Would he have told him that he too was in love? He knew he would have never done that. That Yixing wasn’t that brave.

The date that had left him sleepless because he couldn’t stop thinking of what ifs and whatnots had arrived and Yixing woke up as it were any other day. However, as time ticked off, he felt a sudden urge to fight his self defiance. What was going to happen? Nothing worst, he believed. He too, wanted to go back and reminisce his past.

Looking away from Chanyeol and Jongdae, he tries to find others, giving a quick glance throughout the hall. His eyes stop when they fall on someone as if they found their destination—someone who is standing at the farthest corner yet standing out from each and every one of them. The one who is already looking at him, frozen and surprised.

Yixing feels the simmered fire growing with the every beat of his heart as they continue to stare at each other. His legs walk on instinct and Yixing finds himself in front of Yifan, clueless of his growing smile.

He sees Yifan looking at him, unblinking. The sight makes Yixing feel fuzzy with the sudden bubbling affection. “Yifan,” comes his voice automatically, as if it is his natural instinct. He doesn’t miss the way how Yifan’s frozen body grows tense on hearing his name. Oh how much he missed saying that name.

When Yifan stays unresponsive, Luhan attempts to break him from his reverie which results in the popping of balloon. Yixing can’t help but laugh. _Dumb Yifan._

When he hears Yifan call his name, he knows how Yifan must have felt too; how his insides must be tingling as if they aren’t in their thirties but the boys who were with so much dreams and who wanted to feel a little bit of love. The thought comes like a punch in the gut on realising how their lives are now.

_Mess_.

Maybe the same thought is running inside Yifan’s mind, Yixing guesses when he sees how the softness of his eyes gradually turns into pain the longer they stare at each other. So with much effort, he tears his gaze to notice Luhan standing their exchange with a face a mixture of surprise and amusement. 

“Luhan,” he smiles and watches Luhan coming out of his reverie, the little girl in his arms turning to see who the newcomer is. Soon he finds himself being side-embraced by his friend as he meets eyes with Yifan once again. In time Yifan’s eyes fall on the silver band on his ring finger and he hides it behind him as if the gaze burns.

“Xing, you came and you are late!” Luhan exclaims when they part and Yixing gives him the same sheepish smile.

“Took me some time to choose my shirt, sorry.” He jokes, knowing Luhan won’t buy it. “Is she Minseok’s daughter?” he asks, pointing at the little girl, before Luhan can even snort.

“Oh yes, she looks so like him, right?” Luhan coos and at the same time realises that Yixing has not met the others. “Ah, wait here. I will let the others know you are here.” With that he leaves, not before glancing back at Yifan who doesn’t notice it.

Yixing talks first. “How are you?”

Typical question everyone would ask but Yifan doesn’t find his tongue to answer it right away. His throat goes dry but he tries again. “Well how do I look?” He knows, by the look in Yixing face, that it went well despite his slightly shaking voice.

Not even surprised, Yifan lets out a laugh when Yixing gives him a once over and he feels his anxiety dissipating. “Well, you do look good.”

Yifan raises an eyebrow at that, “really? Even when I am not the one who took a whole day to choose a shirt?” He doesn’t control the contented sigh when Yixing starts laughing.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I would come. It was a last minute decision,” Yixing says, dropping his volume with every word.

“Oh,” breathes out Yifan. It isn’t only him who was in a dilemma. “And you are here now.”

Yixing gives a jerk of his head as a nod before saying, “Yet you aren’t answering my question properly. Say Yifan, how are you?” 

“I am good,” he says and sees Junmyeon and Minseok approaching them.

He remembers that morning when he imagined how it would go if he meets Yixing. But he never thought it would go this well, this smooth; not making the situation awkward.

Yixing opens his mouth to say something but Junmyeon reaches them by then, clearing his throat making his presence known. Like that, the words Yixing decided to speak become forgotten for the time being.

Old friends greet each other and Junmyeon finds it hard not to seem wary off the late comer. He tries his best to give the most genuine smile and Yixing fails to see the slight indifference hiding behind that curl of lips while Yifan suspects it right away. Being unfortunate, he receives a fleeting glare at his direction too.

“Sorry,” Yixing says as he looks at Junmyeon who frowns, “for being late.” Minseok shrugs it off while Luhan says that he is at least there before the dinner. But both Yifan and Junmyeon know too well to see that it isn’t just an apology for coming late. There’s much more to it. Yifan knows because Junmyeon meets eyes with him for a brief second. Those words sound so sincere that it makes Junmyeon feel bad slightly so he reaches out to pat his arm.

“It’s alright, Yixing. It will take a few more minutes for the dinner. Let’s go and see the others, come with me. Have you met Chanyeol yet?”

It takes another thirty minutes to set the buffet with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo checking it all. Yixing meets almost everyone he knew in his college days with Junmyeon by his side. Junmyeon doesn’t miss how Yixing’s eyes occasionally flickers over to where Yifan has been standing with Luhan and how Yifan notices it to give back a smile. It makes Junmyeon feel like he went back to college days where they were so obviously smitten by each other before they started going out. It felt sweet but now it only made him anxious.

As soon as Minseok announces that they can all start eating, Yifan walks to them and asks them to come eat with them and he barely sees how Junmyeon glares at him. Junmyeon keeps quiet till they walk together to the dining hall. He watches silently as Yifan asks Yixing to go sit and he would bring food for him. He tries hard not to frown at his friend while they have an eye contact and follows him.

“Yifan,” he calls out him quietly as Yifan hands him a plate. He waits till Yifan grabs two more and follows him as he moves forward. “You do see the ring on his hand, right?”

Yifan falters his pace to give him a look over his shoulder. After a moment, he answers, “Yixing? Yeah, I saw that. Why?”

Junmyeon almost loses it at the nonchalance. He takes a deep breath and tries again. “He’s married.”

Yifan contemplates between ravioli and tortellini, and looks at Junmyeon almost as if he didn’t hear him. “I am aware?” he mutters. He decides over Ravioli in the end.

Junmyeon gives up with the idea of beating around the bush and places his plate on the counter. “Stop flirting then!”

Yifan mimics him and puts down the plates and crosses his hands. “We are not flirting.”

“You guys are!” Junmyeon doesn’t give up.

Yifan sighs, “We are just trying not to make it awkward for you guys, alright? What should I do then? Ignore him? Or shit-talk about him to you? Just because we are exes? We parted ways on good terms, Myeon.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Junmyeon defends himself but he knows he cannot take what he said. “Yifan…”

“I am not trying to get back with him, if that’s what you are wondering about. For Lord's sake, how low do you think of me?”

Panic fills Junmyeon as he sputters, “Yifan, I know…” Yifan looks positively hurt and now he has to make himself clear. “See, I know you weren’t in touch with any of us and neither was he. But I always wondered how you guys were doing in your life, you know, after parting ways. So it came as a shock when I heard that you went through a divorce—I know, you said that you are happy now and I am worrying too much but Luhan was annoying. He kept telling what if the _spark _is still there between you but Yixing is married—“

“Kim Junmyeon, relax.” Yifan holds him by the shoulder to make him stop rambling. “Don’t you know that Luhan says shit most of the time? I don’t even know why he has that much fangirls to be honest,” he laughs light-hearted as he picks up the plate to get the side dishes. “Don’t worry too much, Joonie.”

Junmyeon could only nod, hoping that they will be alright.

Yixing smiles wide when he sees his plate filled with his favourite, ravioli. He mutters quiet thanks and gestures him to take the seat beside him. Yifan obliges that holding in the urge to glance at Junmyeon.

Within seconds their table gets full of their friends circle and the void that had been in Yifan’s heart fills with adoration for them. He listens to their stories he had missed and realises how much they have grown from what they had been. He feels proud for his friends.

“You are full already?” Minseok asks Somin, who buries her face into his chest when everyone turns their attention to her. “This is why you shouldn’t give kids anything to eat before dinner, Luhan.”

Luhan ignores him and coos at Somin, telling her to eat if she wants to grow up pretty. Junmyeon smacks him and fortunately that shuts him up.

Yixing watches the whole exchange with a smile along with something akin to fondness. “How old is she?” 

Yifan looks over at him before directing his gaze to Somin and answers in Minseok’s stead, “She’s three. Cute isn’t she?”

Yixing hums, his face gentle as he admires how cute she is, reminding him of someone of his own. “She is, really. My daughter turns six in two months. She reminds me a lot of her.”

The cheers his friends make after that sounds too distance to Yifan. All he can focus is Yixing’s happy face when he spoke about his daughter. When the cheers dies down, leaving Yixing in a chuckling mess, Yifan starts speaking, “Do you have a picture of her?”

Yixing nods first before speaking, “Oh yeah. Wait, let me…” and reaches for his phone in his jean pocket. He taps on it a few times and gives it to him. “That’s Huian.”

Yifan looks at the screen. He sees a small girl, who might be four or three when the picture is taken, and his heart swells with adoration for her—someone he hasn’t even met. But she looks so much like Yixing—from her eyes to the way she smiles. She looks a lot like Yixing. He passes the phone when others ask for it and stares at Yixing until the latter catches him. His gaze doesn’t falters even when Yixing gazes back with a questioning smile.

“What?” Yixing mumbles, audible for Yifan alone.

Yifan doesn’t break the eye-contact while answering him, “She looks like you.”

Yixing softly laughs it away, indicating that it isn’t the first time he got that. “Heard that a lot, you know?”

“She’s beautiful,” Yifan says again as if Yixing didn’t say anything.

“…she would be glad to hear that.” Yixing doesn’t look like he is taken aback by that comment. Instead he looks so pleased with himself. Or that is what Junmyeon sees from across them.

_Not flirting, my ass. _

He wants to remind them that they are not nineteen anymore so he clears his throat loud enough for them to turn his way and he smiles sweetly. He avoids Yifan’s eyes while asking, “What about Huian’s mother, Yixing? You should have brought them too?”

The smile on Yixing face falls. Junmyeon almost thinks that whatever he has been suspecting is true. But then he hears Yixing speak, “Huian has only me. Her mother died the day she was born.”

The table falls silent. Nobody says anything for a second and after sometime, Baekhyun, who is squeezing back Chanyeol’s hand under the table, breaks the silence first, “I am sorry to hear that, hyung.”

Yixing shakes his head, “No, it’s okay. I am fine with the way life is.”

Yifan doesn’t know what he feels inside. He doesn’t know what he should call it. Is Yixing too living a life like him? But he looks so happy. He senses Junmyeon looking at him but he doesn’t look at him.

“Are you okay?” he asks in a hush instead.

Yixing of course hears it and nods at him.

He is okay.

That’s all Yifan wants.

“You can play some songs if you want to,” Yixing says without swerving his eyes from the road. When he sees Yifan hesitate, he sighs and he switches on the audio player himself. While he does that, the ring on his finger glows under the street light catching both of their attention.

Yifan half-expects him to snatch his hand back away from his eyes again like what he did back there in the party. Other part of him wants him to tell why he is wearing the ring even after his wife is gone. Does he love her that much? Most importantly, Yifan wants to know if Yixing was loved by her as he deserves a love like that. Or was she someone like Mei?

“Are you upset with what they did?” Yixing tries again when Yifan seems too lost in his own thoughts. “You know how they are.”

Yifan is supposed to be driven back to the airport by Junmyeon. That has been the initial plan until Junmyeon acted weird all of a sudden by telling he cannot give him a ride and to ask Yixing. Yifan has a vague idea but no, Junmyeon might have just felt sorry for getting overboard with his worries. But then that brat had to send a text.

**From: Myeonny**

_i thought you both needed to talk alone. _

_thank me later wooh ;)_

“Not really upset. But you could have said no when he asked you, you know?” Yifan retorts, recognising the song. It is one of songs he had loved. The kind of song that sounded too sweet when he was first in love. The song that always reminded him of Yixing's smiles even after all this time. It is called _The Special One_. Now that Yixing is near him, his heart flutters reminiscing their times.

“It’s okay. I was gonna ask if I can give you a lift, you know?”

_What._

“Really? Why?” Maybe it is _Khalil Fong_ that's making him speak.

Yixing glances over his side for a brief second before focusing on the road again. His face is a mix of amusement and smugness. “I thought we could talk.”

“We were talking back there, weren’t we?” Yifan blurts, and then feels dumb when Yixing gives him a look of disbelief. Yixing then steps on the brake and the car comes to a halt, surprising Yifan.

“Alright then, get out of the car. You will reach the airport in an hour or so, I guess and that’s if you start walking now,” says Yixing, while all Yifan does is gape at him. “Aren’t you getting out the car?” He blinks, looking all innocent that Yifan has doubt if Yixing really does want him out his car.

Then he gets the other. _Yixing _wants to talk and he knows Yifan wants to talk too. That’s why they are sitting in his car, both fighting the urge to spit out those questions they both have been dying to ask each other. Yifan realises that he isn’t the only one who has questions. Yixing had lived those ten years wondering about him too. He gets it now.

“Umm… But my flight isn’t until 11.”

“So?” Yixing tilts his head sideways as though daring the other to answer that.

Yifan dares, for once. Maybe they both need to talk.

“Can we have a drink or two and talk?”

Maybe that’s what they need. Some alcohol in their system and asking out the questions they have in mind. But for what? They both know that this won’t change a thing about anything that has happened. But for Yifan it doesn’t matter because Yixing has already started his car as if that is what he has been waiting to hear from him.

“Now you say. Get in. Your favourite song is gonna end.” 

The place has changed since the time they last been there. The night breeze was calming but the awaiting questions that don’t let them enjoy it. They are sitting a foot away from each other with few soju cans and both of their eyes are fixed on the goalpost.

They decided to go their playground where they used to play basketball and sometimes even soccer (mostly because of Luhan and Minseok) and simply where they saw each other the happiest, without a care in the world. The place is nostalgic, from the smell to the twinkling stars to the whispering trees. They feel like they went back in time; where they are still twenty. 

Yifan decides to start it first. He has been right about having soju and smiles at how smooth the words roll out of him. “Your ring,” he points at Yixing’s soju can and pauses for a moment before shooting away, “is there any reason why you are still wearing it?”

Yixing has seen that coming already so the answer some right away as if he had waited for this question to be asked.

“To not forget her,” he says, his voice fading with the night breeze and he avoids eye contact while continuing, “and for the respect I have for her.”

Did she love him? Was Yixing loved?

“Did she love you?”

Maybe Yixing doesn’t expect this question because his head snaps in his direction, clearly taken aback. When Yifan feels like he spoke too soon, Yixing shakes his head as a smile slowly blooms on his face. The smile isn’t sad, neither bitter. It is genuine as if he is glad for something that didn’t happen.

“I wasn’t someone she would have fallen in love with.”

  * •●•●•●•●•●•●

It had been four years since he had graduated. He had been interning at a company when his parents started talking of the alliance they were going to arrange. Like everything in his life, he didn’t have a say on that matter either. Nor did they ask him if he wanted a marriage.

They had arranged dinner plans with the family and it soon escalated into an ad hoc engagement dinner because both the families thought it would be great if their children get married. They were so excited with themselves that they didn’t even notice how the said couple barely met eyes with each other.

Yixing didn’t understand why the girl would agree for something she didn’t want. Then it hit him how he wasn’t any different; that she was being the perfect daughter like how he was playing a perfect son for his parents. He didn’t even know how days flew and failed to realise that he kind of became a puppet that obeyed even orders like sit or stand. He gave in too easily because he was tired. And also he didn’t have any reason to cancel the wedding. Telling his parents that he would never love a woman might only hurt them. He would only be a disgrace. He didn’t want that for his parents.

The wedding was a faint memory. No matter how similar their life was with each other, they didn’t converse other than the trivial things like if they ate their meals and when they would return from work. The only thing Yixing happened to be glad about was that they were living alone and far from each other’s family. They never watched TV together. They never ate a meal together, save for the times when one of their parents visited them. They never send messages to each other nor have their numbers saved with cheesy nicknames. They pretended like they were strangers sharing a home. Their home was never a home for either of them.

A year passed like that and in one of their family dinners, Yixing’s mother started the talk of wanting a grandchild which made the situation more awkward than it should be. Yixing swallowed harder for each bite of his food and noticed that Jia barely touched her food after the talk. From that day, the talks became more and more frequent. They went from hinting to blatantly asking Yixing one day if it would be better if he checks himself with a doctor. Their excuse was people around them were asking why the couple is still childless.

Yixing didn’t really care but maybe that was the last straw for Jia. That night Yixing found her drunk in their kitchen, crying alone and silent. For someone who was pretending to be a stranger, Yixing felt too much concern for her. He had asked what was wrong. It felt to foreign talking to her with some kind of emotion. Maybe he had forgotten that she was a woman with emotions of her own and she too, like him, have to fight them.

“I never asked them for this life,” she said, her sobs barely dying, “I never asked them for a marriage. Why don’t they see this is not I wanted?”

_Have you told them, that this is not what you want. That you have your own things to do. _

“I had been doing everything they have been asking for. Every single thing. From my major to their choice of man I should marry. Now they even want me to sleep with you, someone I don’t even know much apart from your name, and give them a baby. All because they couldn’t stand questions of the society? Fuck their society!” Then she cried even harder, leaving Yixing frozen with her sobs reverberating the walls.

“Not even once they thought if this is what their daughter wants. Not even once. Honestly why can’t they just ask me to die so that I can kill myself?”

For some reasons, that had hurt Yixing. Was it supposed to hurt like that?

“Do you want that?” he asked that night. That made her stop her crying and look at him. “Do you want them to decide the way you die too?”

“I am too used to listening to them. I forgot how to make decisions on my own,” she said after thinking for a long time. “I feel disgusted with myself.”

_Me too, _Yixing thought. “What should we do?”

What seemed like the first time they met eyes, Yixing could see how dead her eyes looked. Her lips shivered for what they were about to say.

“Will they shut up and leave us alone if they get what they want?” she asked and Yixing could see her soul dying with each word. He could see how her face pales as she waits for him to answer. As if begging him to say yes.

_Would they leave us alone? _

_Oh what we have become._

“I hope they leave us alone.”

Jia gave the news to her parents first, when she learned she was pregnant. They were happy. Not because their daughter was pregnant and they were going to become grandparents but because society wouldn’t ask them why their daughter is still childless. Yixing wasn’t even surprised anymore. And Jia was too tired to care.

On the other hand, Yixing got close to Jia as he wanted to take care of her. It was awkward at first when he tried having real conversations, which Jia was surprised with, but it became easier than he expected. They grew closer as they shared about themselves. Jia told him about her dreams to travel the world and find a love on her own. Yixing told her about Yifan.

“So is this why you have lots of these business magazines? To keep a tab on him?” She was more excited when she saw Yixing getting flustered.

“Shut up,” hissed Yixing playfully, ignoring the dull ache in his chest. He didn’t know the reason why it hurt talking about Yifan after that long. Wasn’t that what he wanted—to tell about him to someone who would listen?

“It is nice, you know? To talk freely with each other. We should have done this earlier, Yixing.”

They could have been each other’s comfort. They didn’t have to pretend like strangers when they could have been good friends like that, sharing what they couldn’t share with others. They could have been each other’s solace in their world of pressure.

“Well, at least now we became friends, right?”

For the first time, Yixing saw her smile reach her eyes. “Right.”

Those nine months flew by so quickly for the new friends. Jia gave birth to a pretty girl child on a warm spring day.

“How does Huian sounds?” She asked Yixing, as she stared at her sleeping daughter.

Yixing hummed, speechless as he looked at the baby that looked so peaceful sleeping, unaware of the chaotic world for which she had left her mother’s safe womb. She looked pretty, a mixture of Jia and his; but mostly him.

“Yixing,” he heard her call his name and when he looked up at her, there were unshed tears in her eyes as she looked at the baby, Huian. “You know, I want her to live life freely, unlike us. If she wants to travel the world, she can. If she wants to love someone, she can. I want her to find a love and hold onto it, to fight for it, unlike us,” she said shakily and a wince passed her lips, making the other worried.

“Jia?” Yixing was next to her in a blink of an eye and her hands were into his. “Of course, she can—“ he stopped when he saw how Jia’s breathes were growing harder as she cried. “Jia, stop crying. It’s alright.”

She ignored him. “Will you love her? Even if—if she isn’t made of t—true love?” Then she winced again placing a hand on her chest, louder than before.

Yixing remained frozen as he saw her struggle with breathing and it was when Huian made a cry, he realised what was happening and rushed to get help.

The doctors came and checked her while he waited outside the ward with Huian in his arms. Meantime both of their parents arrived. They kept asking questions about what happened to the mother and all he could do was shake his head. Her question kept ringing in his mind.

_Will you love her? Even if she isn’t made of true love?_

He looked down at the child who looked at him with big, glimmering eyes and then her tiny hand that held to his pinky finger as if he was all she knew. “How could I not love you?” he whispered to her, his voice shaking. The baby smiled as if she understood.

The doctors came out the ward bearing the bad news. They told him that Jia couldn’t make it. Pulmonary embolism, they said. The only thought Yixing had was how unfair life had been to her. Even death came to her when she wished to live for the new life she had brought.

His only friend left the world without even spending a day with Huian.

  * •●•●•●•●•●•●

His eyes are wet, Yifan sees through his own glazed vision. His throat feels constricted, a painful lump that is difficult to swallow.

“I felt sorry for her, still do. She didn’t even have someone love her. I could see the yearning in her eyes when I told her about you.” He was able to see how much she wanted what Yixing had; someone to love even if you aren’t with them, even if they don’t look like they were meant to be. She wanted to love.

“I am sorry,” is all Yifan finds courage to say.

“Life had been so unfair to her, Yifan. You know what my parents said? Not even two days and they started asking me if I wanted to remarry,” he chuckles and that doesn’t make the other’s heart stutter like it usually does. It sounds bitter, the one that prickles Yifan’s chest. “I didn’t think twice before telling them I used to see a boy. I am not even lying but the look they had after I told them I am gay, it was satisfying. I left home.”

Yifan let him talk. He doesn’t even know if Yixing has told this to anyone. Maybe he is the first one listening to this side of the story.

“As much I wanted to do the same with Jia’s parents, I saw that they realised how wrong they were. They regretted their mistakes. They couldn’t accept their daughter’s death. I saw them broke down in front of her body. I didn’t want to take the only thing their daughter left them. I let them visit Huian at times. Huian will stay at their place when I can’t go home,” he trails off, looking at the horizon laden with stars.

The talk is heavy yet Yifan can see how relaxed Yixing looks saying every word. It looks like he wanted to let these thoughts out to someone. How painful it must have been for him?

Few minutes pass and they both take a couple of sips from their respective cans.

“You didn’t try seeing anyone in these four years?” Yifan asks, not knowing how to keep the conversation tension free. It kind of works when he sees Yixing giving him a look as if asking him _really now? _

“Say Yifan, what would _you _say if I ask you the same?”

Yifan blinks at him, not sure what to answer. He watches Yixing’s smirk grow with each passing second and his face heats up. He clears his throat before answering, “Uh, I had no interest in um… dating.”

Yixing only looks smugger than before as he snickers. “That’s the same with me, Yifan.”

Silence takes over them and they don’t seem to care. Instead they find it comfortable and wonder where the conversation took them to. Standing at that place, watching the star studded sky, brings memories one by one and they stand next to each other, unaware of the second’s hand ticking too fast than they would have wanted it to.

Yixing thinks that it is his turn to ask questions. “About Mei,” he sees the way Yifan’s face pulls up a grimace as soon as he says her name, “don’t you have anything to tell?”

A scoff comes before his answer. “Not so nice things though.”

Yixing nods his head in understanding, “Then better not talk about her.” Then he walks away from where they are standing and settles down on one the seats in the bleacher, gesturing the other to do the same. He waits till Yifan sits beside him and then asks, voice reduced down to a whisper and sounding more concerned, “How is your mother?”

Warmth spreads in Yifan’s chest as he remembers how Yixing would use the same tone to address his mother, the same genuine and respectful tone he used back then. “She’s doing well. Went on a tour with her brother.”

He thinks about the day when she asked Yixing’s name. Would she like Yixing?

“You know,” starts Yifan, eyes lost among the stars while Yixing’s are set on his side profile, “she asked about you one day.”

“Me?” Surprise perks up in his voice.

Yifan nods. “One day, she just asked your name. Just like that. Out of the blue.”

Yifan doesn’t tell him about his mother asking him if Yixing had loved him. By the time Yifan turns to take a look at Yixing, the other looks way, deep in thought. Then he asks, “Have you ever tried contacting me, Yifan?”

Yifan doesn’t get what Yixing asked him until Yixing looks straight in his eyes and honestly Yifan cannot bring himself to answer because there are countless of times when he wanted to talk to him—to see him. But he had been a coward. Maybe Yixing reads his mind because he sighs but doesn’t look like he’s disappointed.

“I have tried calling you once,” he says, once again looking away afraid what might Yifan see through them. “It was when they started talking about the wedding with Jia… I kinda missed you. So I called the number I found in your company website and I got connected to your office.”

“What…” Yifan drags his question, tensing up for reasons he couldn’t understand. “I—I didn’t know…”

“I asked for you. It was your mother who I got connected to. She asked for my name and I told her I wanted to talk to you and that… I am your friend,” there is a frown resting on his forehead which Yifan wants to smoothen, “she again asked for my name and I told her. She didn’t say anything except not to call again and that you are not willing to talk to any of your friends here in China.”

Yifan realises for what his mother must have apologised that day. He knows it now that Yixing looks at him and smiles sadly. Words get stuck at his throat, refusing to leave him.

“I know it was just her telling that. I figured it out. Well, it doesn’t really matter now. Nothing would’ve changed,” he mutters the last part quietly to himself but they aren’t sitting too far to miss it. Yifan has heard him clearly and something inside him tells him the same. Would Yifan have become braver if Yixing had talked to him that day?

“They told me you avoided them after I left,” says Yifan when he finds his voice.

Yixing doesn’t answer as he stares at his now empty soju can, absent-mindedly playing with the tab of the can. After an internal contemplation, he talks. “I couldn’t bear the thought of missing you… while others were there, unaffected. They missed you too, of course but not—not the way I had. I had no one to come here with. I stopped coming here, stopped going to the places we went, stayed in the dorm room most of the time. It’s—it’s silly, I know.”

He sounds as if he is frustrated but Yifan cannot be sure unless he sees it from the other’s eyes which Yixing doesn’t let him. He keeps his eyes away from him.

“You said you would be okay…” And Yifan trusted it.

Yixing once again, lets out an empty laugh which only makes Yifan feel worse. “I thought so too, Yifan but you know what I think about it now? What we had, it was worth fighting. We could have fought a little more and could have held onto each other. We gave up on us that easily, didn’t we?” 

With each word, Yifan’s heart rages for some reason.

_They could have fought. Their love was worth it. Then why didn’t they? Why did they give up? What would they have been now if they have done it?_

“Yixing…” he doesn’t know what to say. He won’t be able to.

Yixing stands up abruptly, shaking his head, “I think I am sober enough to drive us. Let’s get going now.”

They find themselves sitting beside each other with a comforting silence accompanying them despite the previous confessions. While driving, Yixing had been silent as Yifan was the one who tried to dissipate the tension by starting a conversation about Luhan and his new rumoured celeb crush. Yixing soon joined by telling him how he too has seen the Korean model posting pictures with mandarin captions. They even shared a laugh or two.

Now they are sitting at the lounge, not knowing what to say; or how to feel about the whole ordeal.

“Just twenty-five minutes more,” says Yifan when he catches Yixing’s wandering eyes stopping at him. “You should go home now, Yixing.”

“I will wait, Yifan.” That makes the other’s heart skip a beat.

Yifan sighs and is about to repeat it again when Yixing raises a brow in defiance. “You think I would listen to you? I am gonna stay until they call you—“

Yifan doesn’t let him finish. “Alright, stay then. I am not stopping you.”

Yixing’s lips stretches into a small smile, “Yeah?”

Yifan hums as he leans back into his seat and fishes out his phone. He hands it to Yixing and closes his eyes, “save your number.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t you want to keep in touch? I know you want to call me after few hours to ask if I have reached home safely, am I right?” Yifan asks and flutter opens his eyes just in time to catch Yixing’s wide smile—the one that shows his pretty dimple. Oh how much he missed it. “Save yours, I will call you once after I reach home.”

Yixing doesn’t wait for a heartbeat and does what he is told to as if he has been waiting for Yifan to ask for his number. Maybe he does want it, it’s not like he’s afraid of someone now. 

“Here,” says Yixing, handing back Yifan his phone and smiling ear to ear when he hears his phone chime a minute after.

The time comes soon than they expect. The announcer calls for the passengers of Yifan’s flight and he looks over to Yixing who looks as if he froze hearing her. Then he mutters a quick _wait _(Yifan almost doesn’t understand him) and dashes towards the exit. Yifan almost follows him in fear that Yixing might leave him but he stays uprooted in his place, eyes not leaving the man even once. After what might have been a minute, Yixing returns running and Yifan holds his breath until Yixing stands in front of him again, his face all red and flowers in his hand. It takes ten ticking seconds to hit Yifan what has happened.

“Did you—did you just ran away like that to buy flowers??”

Yixing keeps his hands stretched and pants, catching some air. Then he shakes his head, the scarlet colour deepening as he sputters an answer. “I had bought them in the evening.”

It makes Yifan’s smile drop. What does he mean—

“I bought them for you, thought you would like them. But I wasn’t sure I would see you so I left them in the car. Didn’t you notice? I left them in the backseat.”

He did not. Why didn’t he? But now, he sees them. The forget-me-nots in Yixing’s hands stretched to him, the unsure smile in his scarlet face, the slight hope in his eyes that calls for him, he sees it all. He realises how much Yixing is mirroring him. Is there a dim fire in his heart too? One that didn’t stop burning even living countries apart—even after a decade, is it there in him too?

It is there. He sees it through the way Yixing’s smile brightens when he takes the flowers from him; in the way the hope in his eyes simmers up. Maybe they haven’t changed at all. Maybe for them, they would always stay the same twenty year olds, so much in love yet too afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves. 

“Thanks for the flowers, Xing.” It had been years since he last called him that but still it feels like nothing has changed when the smile Yixing wears looks shy.

They stare at each other’s eyes. Yifan bites him tongue not to let the words from his heart out and he sees Yixing struggling too, as the latter keeps opening and closing his mouth, unsure or afraid, Yifan doesn’t know. They have always been cowards after all.

“Go back home safely,” Yifan tells him, eyes communicating completely different things; the questions they couldn’t ask out aloud. “I will call you too, after reaching home.”

Yixing nods and looks away. Yifan doesn’t see it right away but when he does, it shatters his heart. The whole thing feels like a déjà vu—like reliving one’s worst nightmare. There are tears in Yixing’s eyes, ready to be shed. But his smile, it isn’t sad like the one he had ten years ago. It is grateful as if he is thanking Yifan. But what did Yifan even do except loving him?

Yifan wants to repeat the words of love again. His heart begs to do say it, to let the caged words go. But he swallows it, internally scolds himself. He is a coward after all. They both are.

“Yeah… Call me,” breathes Yixing, avoiding eyes again.

Yifan grips the flowers tight and takes a step back, letting his lips curl and setting his heart free. A little.

“Next time we meet, let me meet Huian.”

The last thing he sees before running for his flight is Yixing’s nod and his happy smile with a silent promise of next time.


	4. Epilogue

The air of China always feels home even if he hadn’t lived much of his life there. His heart gets excited at the thought of being home again and with a smile, he searches for the man who has been on the phone since he landed.

“I saw you, Yifan. Look at your right.”

Yifan turns right as he is told and sees him. His heart stutters as if he is nineteen all again. He stands there watching him until someone behind him asks to move forward. He moves away from their way and holds in a chuckle, embarrassed.

Yixing beckons him barely hiding his amused laugh and Yifan spots something violets in his hands—_Forget-me-nots. _He walks to him in small paces and Yixing attempts to grab his travel bad as the first thing.

“How was the flight?” He hears him ask. He hums back as a response, too busy eyeing the flowers. When Yixing realises what he is looking at, his lets out a small _‘oh’ _and stretches the flowers towards him.

“Here, for you.”

Yifan doesn’t accept it right away but enjoys the flushed face of Yixing before taking the flowers from him. “I didn’t really expect you to be this cheesy, Xing. Thank you, I love them.”

Years ago, when Yixing first gave him flowers, Yifan only saw forget-me-nots as a flower that symbolises remembrance. He realises now that they also symbolize true love and the realisation makes him feel jittery.

He thought that their love would pass away. They both would forget what they had and move on. Maybe at some point they accepted it, that they should move on from each other. But their love, it stayed where they left it and waited for them to return to it. Their love, it was worth fighting for. For their love, they could have stood against the whole world.

Yes, they gave up so easily; let their love starve and maybe even waited for it to die. But unaware of themselves they both let a small part of it hide deep down in their chest, where no one can see and take it away from them, afraid if someone did, they will call them out for loving. The small thought of love grew and grew and grew until it gave them hope even after a decade and where it become so strong that no one in the world can break it again. It made them braver.

Braver enough to let their caged love free. To accept it again. Because their love is worth the fight.

Both the fight against the world and the fight against themselves.

“Where is she?” Yifan asks as he resists his grip on the travelling bag he is holding, determined to carry it himself. “I will take this.”

But Yixing is more stubborn. He doesn’t leave the bag until Yifan surrenders and lets it go exhaling a sigh, earning a smile from the former.

“She’s in the car, by the way. She hates crowd. She is being so impatient to meet you,” Yixing says as he starts walking, Yifan following him. “But you, you don’t look okay though. What are you being nervous?”

Yifan is nervous. Very much. He has talked to Huian many times on the phone, most of the time face-timing but meeting her in person makes his nerves shiver a little. She’s an angel, just like her father. Maybe her mother too, from what Yifan has heard about Jia. He’s nervous about whether she would like him as much as he likes her. Yixing wouldn’t understand anything even if he says.

“I don’t know,” he simply answers for which Yixing smiles secretively_. _“I am always nervous around kids, I guess.”

“Don’t worry much about it, Yifan. You are doing fine,” he says and he stops, showing Yifan his car. Yifan feels antsy all of a sudden, in the thought of going to meet Huian in person. “She likes you so much already.”

Huian means silent and obliging. That name suited her the most. Yifan has seen how much she behaves according to her name, always listening to his father’s words and greeting Yifan with sweet smiles with pretty dimple that Yifan fell for. Don’t blame him, he’s weak for people with angel like smile and dimples. In person though, Huian is just a shy ball of cuteness. She ducks her head down as soon as she sees Yifan with her father. 

“Hey,” Yifan says, which sounds more like a croak, out of nervousness. Yixing just chuckles and goes to open the car for him.

She peeks at him from her long eyelashes and blinks her curious eyes few times before giving him that lovely smile of hers. Then she nods her head cutely and Yifan could not keep in the chuckle. She looks more adorable in person.

“Uncle Wu is here, Huian. You said you wanted to meet him,” Yixing tries to coax her out of her shy demeanour and Yifan nods along, showing his gummy grin.

“Huian wanted to meet me?” He asks her. She blinks once before slowly nodding her head and then she looks over to her right, hands flying to the ash kitten plushie beside her. It is Yifan’s present for her. He had sent it from Canada for her birthday despite how much Yixing had told him not to. “You brought your kitten along with you too?”

The smile she gives hearing it is priceless. Even Yixing’s smile looks frozen watching her and he clears his throat, telling Yifan to get inside the car.

Yifan takes the backseat where Huian is sitting with her stuffed kitten and makes an attempt to talk with her. She eventually warms up to him as he is someone she knows well, thanks to all those skype calls. She starts talking about her school and even promises to show drawing of her kittens.

“Huian really loves cats,” Yifan says when they finally reach Yixing apartment and they wait for Huian to input their code. She has been so persistent that she would open the door for them while gripping her plush.

Yixing fixes her eyes on his daughter, sighing he says, “She does, I don’t even know why she obsesses over them. She’s been asking me to get her one.” He makes the last part so quiet that Huian doesn’t hear it. “I am not so fond of cats, to be honest.”

Yifan just stares at the other, specifically his eyes that never leave Huian for even a second. He sees the softness in his eyes and the silent smile that speaks his love for her.

Seeing Huian succeeding in opening the door, Yixing speaks, “Get inside. Feel free to wander around.”

Junmyeon’s wedding is happening on the following day. That is the reason why he is in China now. Junmyeon had spammed his emails with not so friendly threats and attaching his wedding invitation with all of them. This happened despite Yifan assuring him that he would be present to witness that special moment.

“Thank god, you came before and not on the wedding day. It would have been a hassle really, picking you up and driving you there. It’s exhausting even to think.”

Yifan throws an accusing look and counters, “You didn’t had to pick me up you know? You could have just given me the address and I would have come here without getting lost.” 

Yixing, who is braiding Huian’s hair, stops his task and looks up at him ready to retort a little too soon. Then he gets a hold of himself and returns back to braiding. He does add an answer in the end. “I wanted to be there when you come back here. It was a decision I made back then, on the day of our reunion.”

Yifan is clearly taken aback but he composes himself soon and pretends to be engrossed in Huian’s drawings (most of them without any doubts, kittens); because he doesn’t know what to reply. 

It is a different kind of feeling—watching your friend getting married, finally starting his own family. Yifan once thought Junmyeon wouldn’t even get a girlfriend with that dry humour of his. But today, watching him do all mushy-mushy talk about his fiancé, his soon to be wife, kind of made him proud and wonder how on earth does the girl even tolerates his bad puns?

“The same way Yixing put up with your dumbass,” Junmyeon shoots back as soon as Yifan voices out thoughts. Thank god, Yixing isn’t there with them. “So tell me, are you two together?”

Yifan rolls his eyes and tells him to shut up.

“Don’t shut me up on my own wedding, Wufan. When the time comes, I am gonna yell ‘_I told you so, Yifan’ _right at your face, just you see.” He makes a face.

“Shut up, Junmyeon.” He repeats again, with more mockery this time and adds, “Don’t make weird faces on your own wedding. You look funny.”

Junmyeon scrunches his face more but before he can say anything, he loses his focus on Yifan to concentrate on someone else. He wears a smug face in a blink of an eye and points out to Yifan, “Isn’t that Oh Sehun with Luhan? Well that’s interesting now.”

Yifan looks back to where he points and it is indeed the Korean model Luhan probably has a crush on. 

Just in time, Yixing, who is on the other side of the room with Jongdae, Kyungsoo, Baekhyun and Chanyeol cooing at Huian, catches his eyes and smiles as he jerks his head slightly at the idol and the model. Yifan just shakes his head at him.

It is a different kind of feeling—having the people who you once wondered, what would they do in the next ten years, and some happen to do really well in life, while others live their lives how they like, it makes the heart inside warm. Yifan can tell he is happy.

They return to Yixing’s apartment an hour before midnight. They didn’t drink as they had to drive five hours to Yixing’s apartment and with Huian, it would be a bad idea to get drunk.

Yifan carries Huian as Yixing presses the numbers into the lock pad. Huian had been so persistent to get carried by Wu uncle when she got sleepy and Yifan held her all the way to their home.

Yixing asks to let him carry her to her bed but Yifan shakes his head and take her to bed himself. It has been two days since they spent time with each other and Yifan already feels sad that he has to leave to Canada after two days. His mother had asked him to stay for two weeks but he said that he didn’t want to. He came there for the wedding and other than the wedding there’s no other reason to stay. That’s what he told himself.

After tucking Huian to bed, he sits down by the bed and watches her sleep. Do all kids look peaceful while they sleep? She must be dreaming something good to look that serene, he thinks.

“Beautiful, isn’t she?”

Yifan turns to look at Yixing who is leaning on the doorframe, sporting a fond look on his face but his gaze isn’t on Huian but him. Yifan’s heart does that stupid thing that he used to feel during those old days.

“She is,” he says, composing his voice, not wanting to give away anything. “You are doing a good job, taking care of her.” He doesn’t even know why he blurts out stuff like that out of the blue. Maybe he does that to distract the betrayer heart that’s reading signs that it is supposed to ignore.

But it takes back Yixing, whose smile drops a little ad settles into a thin line. His features changes from playful to serious and Yifan wishes he could take back what he said. What a coward.

“Say Yifan, do you ever consider dating anyone again?” He asks, voice hush.

He really shouldn’t have said things without thinking twice. He doesn’t even know what of his words makes Yixing ask that. But he just makes it even ridiculous by playing along. “Are you gonna ask me out or what?”

Yifan and his reckless words.

But Yixing looks dead serious while he answers, “Maybe Yifan. But I need to know what you think.” So straight forward. So bold.

Right at Yifan’s face.

Yifan just gapes comically at him to see if he’s joking or he is being serious.

“I am serious with my question, Yifan.”

Oh well.

If Yixing insist that they speak honestly, then let it be. He pushes himself up and walks towards where Yixing is standing. He leans on the wall across Yixing and hums as if he’s thinking. Yixing’s lips give away a hint of smile.

“Don’t you think we are past the dating step?”

A soft yet disbelieving chuckle resonates the whole room and all of Yifan’s heart. “Then what do you want us to do, get married?”

"Wow, that wasn't what I meant but now you said it, why don't we?"

Yixing covers his face with his hand. The talk escalated quickly from _are we gonna date or what _to _let’s get married. _"Oh god, I seriously didn't want this talk to become like this."

It is Yifan’s turn not to laugh and give away anything. "I am serious, Yixing."

"What?" A frown appears on his forehead.

Yifan, without any hesitation, reaches out and smoothens it, ignoring the other’s sharp intake of breath. "What what,” he says, voice getting an octave lower. “You said that our love was worth the fight. We have dated each other for two years back then and we know each other well enough to get married, don't we?"

"Yifan…" Yixing, by instinct almost swats away the other’s hands, but Yifan takes his hands into his. The sudden surge of bravery. Where does it come from?

"Well of course, let's date for a few months and let me properly propose you and then we can get married.” He likes the way Yixing flushes, reminding him of their earlier days. “What do you say, hm?"

It strikes a nerve when Yixing parts his hands from his. Maybe he talked too much it’s too late to take them back. What’s said is said. But then Yixing, once again hides his face that grows in pink by passing seconds. His next words come muffled yet firm—as if there’s no doubt with his decisions, no regrets.

"Huian is gonna make you get her kittens, oh my god."

Yifan lets out a breath. "Is that a yes already?"

"Shut up, Yifan." He does smack his upper arm. Gently, yet his touch sends sparks even to the deepest cores of his body.

"That's unfair, Yixing!" Cries Yifan. Literally.

There are tears running down in face and Yixing is grinning widely as crouches down to see him face to face. Huian throws her arms around Yifan’s neck from behind, a giggly mess.

"What is?" He teases.

"I told you I would propose. I was gonna do this on my birthday! Why did you—God, did you seriously do this?"

It is Yixing’s birthday and Yifan had flown to China to celebrate it with his _boyfriend_. What he didn’t know was that Yixing had brought them promise rings and that he would get on his knee to ask him a forever. It is all overwhelming to him.

Yixing sits beside him as he side hugs him. "Shh crybaby, now now, wipe your tears, and yes. I wanted to be with you soon. I couldn't wait anymore."

Yifan shakes his head. "No, you just wanted to make me feel like this. I was planning this for months. Months, you know? You could have waited for a month—"

"I love you, Yifan." Yixing says.

Huian mutters an _I love too _and nuzzles Yifan’s neck. But Yifan doesn’t hear it. Yixing’s confession echoes in his ears. Few tears fall despite him trying to keep them in. He sees Yixing’s glistening eyes.

"Yixing," he whispers, almost wondering if he’s in a dream.

"I wanted to tell you this. That I love you." Yixing confesses, looking down at their hands and intertwining them.

"I know it, even if you haven't told it aloud." He has known.

"You deserve to hear it aloud though." A chuckle follows and he beckons Huian to his lap. Huian looks at Yifan instead so that he can make her sit on his lap.

She wipes his tears once she gets view of his face, kisses his cheek. “Don’t cry.” Yifan winds up his arms around her little figure, holding her close. She’s a treasure he got through Yixing. Another angel he swore to protect with his life.

"Right, repeat it." He says to his lover, a teasing tilt in voice but shaky nonetheless.

"What?"

"That you love me."

Yixing gives him a lovely smile first. Then comes the sweet confession. "I love you."

"Again?" Yifan demands as Huian giggles in his arms.

"I love you." Yixing says it firm.

"Again?"

"I love you."

"Repeat it again and again." Yifan begs, almost. So does his heart that yearns to hear those words.

And Yixing repeats his _'I love you'_s for a total of 5430 times until the day they exchange their vows in front of the people they call their family, which is only Yifan’s mother, miss Kwong and their friends. Huian becomes their flower girl.

Junmyeon ends his best man speech with a loud ‘I told you so, Yifan’ making Yifan roll his eyes at his friend.

“I know this day would come,” Junmyeon sighs content, standing beside the couple as they watch Sehun ask Luhan for a dance (Of course, they are dating and Junmyeon wins the bet because Sehun was the one who asked Luhan out.)

That is all that matters to Yifan. Watching his family altogether in one place having the time of their life and Yixing’s hand within his.

What else could he ask for a lifetime?

**Fin.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who have stayed till here, thank you.


End file.
